Retro Review: The Land Before Time

With the 2016 release of Journey of the Brave, The Land Before Time received its fourteenth sequel (that’s not to mention the TV series as well). Sadly, the law of diminishing returns has not been kind to Littlefoot and the gang, striking the series down in a big way. These sequels generally span a quality range that falls between tolerable and abominable. Upon the release of the first Land Before Time film way back in 1988, director Don Bluth surely could not have imagined that his creation would go on to spawn such a terrible (and I do mean terrible) legacy. Surely the series wasn’t always this bad or have we just become blinded to its faults through nostalgia?

The original Land Before Time film is a very different beast to the many sequels that followed in its wake. This is mainly due to the fact that the film was the product of an entirely different creative team. During the ’80s Don Bluth Studios were a formidable force, having secured backing from Hollywood big shots Stephen Spielberg and George Lucas. Back then, Don Bluth’s animated films were seen as a somewhat grittier alternative to their Disney counterparts, whom they often clashed with, and gave a good account of themselves against, at the box office. The Land Before Time was the studio’s most successful venture which, despite being released at the same time as Disney’s Oliver & Company, managed to set the highest opening weekend gross for an animated film as well as (briefly) holding the title of highest grossing animated film of all time (Ironically, Disney had the last laugh, with Oliver & Company going on to dethrone it).

After a series of high profile flops in the ’90s, including Thumbelina, A Troll In Central Park and The Penguin and the Pebble, Don Bluth Studios eventually folded and the rights to The Land Before Time were sold off to different, and lesser, creative talents. To say that the straight to home release Land Before Time follow ups failed to recreate the success of the original would be an understatement. And it is easy to see why none of them ever came close to replicating it – it comes across as if those who made some of the follow ups may not have actually seen the first Land Before Time film, much less actually understood what made it so great.

Perhaps the most obvious difference between the original Land Before Time movie and its sequels is that the dinosaurs don’t break out into song at every available opportunity – poorly written frumpy ditties designed to distract infants coming at the cost of story progression. Instead, the film has a beautifully crafted score by fabled music composer James Horner (not to be confused with the similarly named palaeontologist Jack Horner) which does absolute wonders for setting and enhancing every scene in the film, while tugging at the exact emotional cues to ensure the appropriate response from the audience. Indeed, an argument could be made that this is some of Horner’s finest work, but has gone on to be criminally overlooked for being associated with a “kids’ movie”.

Even the art style of the different Land Before Time films is indicative of their contrasting modus opperandi. The colour palette in The Land Before Time (1988) is carefully chosen in order to look characterful but realistic, while superb use of shadows allows landscapes to take on personalities of their own, adding a depth which compels the viewer to become lost in this strange but beautiful place. The same cannot be said of the sequels however, which are little more than a series of over-saturated colours bouncing through landscapes which are the very definition of genericism incarnate. Again, a case of making as much (in this case visual) noise to distract, as opposed to enthrall, very young viewers.

While the story of The Land Before Time is nothing outstanding; five unlikely young friends must put their differences aside in order to undertake an incredible journey to reunite with their families, as a wise man once said; the excellence is in the execution. Each of the featured quintuplet is a fully fleshed out and endearing character in their own way. Even the bossy Cera (often misspelled as ‘Sarah’ on DVD boxes that overlooked a clever nuance) is fully likable in her own special way. Even the most cold-hearted of cynics could not help but root for this motley crew of miniature dinosaurs.

Of course, where there are well drawn protagonists there must also be a worthy villain to antagonise them, and they don’t come much nastier than the cold-blooded (if you’ll excuse the inaccurate play on words – dinosaurs were warm-blooded) killer that is the Tyrannosaurus rex named ‘Sharptooth’. A true instrument of destruction, this monster refuses to give the little dinosaurs a moment’s peace. Whether he’s murdering parents, trampling precious gifts or scaring the bajayzus out of folks at the bottom of a chasm, this guy is bad news and makes the T. rex from Jurassic Park look like something you’d bump into at a petting zoo!

What really makes The Land Before Time pass the test of the ages is that it is a well crafted film which, while certainly a thrilling piece of entertainment for children, has a remarkable sense of maturity about it to the point where adults can also take a lot from it. The fact that it refuses to patronise its audience and embraces a theme which could be adequately summarised as “Life sucks a lot of the time, but if you work hard and keep at it you’ll eventually get your reward” really sinks home. That is why, after all these years, it is still regarded as one of the finest animations of its generation, a time when animated films were experiencing something of a golden age of unprecedented diversity and quality.

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About The Author

Sean is Geek Ireland's resident dinosaur enthusiast, having been fascinated by prehistory since a time before he could read (it's not as long ago as you might think!) - he recently completed a degree in Dinosaur Paleobiology.
In his spare time, Sean writes for Geek Ireland predominantly about science fiction and monster movies. A sucker for a "so bad it's good" creature feature, he can often be found rooting through the bargain bins of DVD shops, looking for 'diamonds in the rough'.